The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-02-26


the house There was crowd there, and
one young man, nsportive MISCHIEF, barred
her way.
See here" said he, 81 keep the gate, an
every gal a-passin' has to pay toll That's
| the law"
Acta flashed her eyes at him from the
depths of her sun-bonnet.
Get out of my way, you no-account, tri-
fling Sol Peery, or III let you feel the
weight of my hand'
''Twouldn't hurt fly, nohow,n retorted
Sol. "Any ways, you don't pass 'thout
payin' toll"
None there, least of all Sol, would have
harmed the girl and he only meant to tease
her little But she was veXed, and posi-
bly, showed her vexation He persisted and
the rest laughed. Suddenly she heard a
voice in stern, deep tones say: "Stand back,
sir" And then the collar of Soils coat was
| grasped. and Sol himself hurled to Assistance
with some violence.
Acta as she passed in, looked from the
depths of her big sun-bonnet. 1t was only
quick glance, and she saw not a man, but
hero, a knight of old, demigod.
Was there indeed such a man outside of
the pages of Froissart!
He was tall and slender, yet from the
! strength he had displayed, muscular. He
! was dressed differently from those around,
I clad in ''store clothes.n They were, of
coarse MATERIAL but they fitted his form,
and showed its proportions to advantage.
! And the frank and noble face! Acta had
but a glimpse, and then passed into the
house; but in that instant "A picture WIS
| painted in her mind to be indelible by mem
DRY.
When she came out ten minutes after,
she stole glance again, and it was easy
for her to comprehend the situation. There
! stood her CASTOR de Folk calm and col
| lected, but with his neclzcloth off and his
coat unbuttoned. Sol Perry was some
PAGES off, nursing bleeding nose and dis
colored eye. There had evidently been a
| ''short, sharp and decisive muscular dis
cussiOn. As she appeared the young man
raised his hat but she was too Hurried to
acknowledge his courtesy. She mounted
and made off with her empty pals. All
the way home she wondered who the cham
| pion might be. She thought of him all day
and he intrudcd in her dreams that night
The next day Acta discovered she was
out of salt. In the excitement of the day
before, she had come away without visiting
| the country store. SO she went to a neigh
Dor half mile away to borrow Mrs. Null
fms, whom she visited, was fond of gossip,
and had already heard of So's discontinue
She began upon that subject and said at
served Sol just right. The cretur didn't
mean no harm, proverbly, but it'll larn him
to stop foolin'."
"Who-who was the-the other :" in
quired Acta.
80, he's some furriner who came yer
! lookin' up some records at the cote-house
Has gOold watch in his poke, an thinks
no more o. throwin' dollars roun' than eff
they We're dornicks. Give a boy of Ance
| SprulOck's a half-dOllar for shown him
the way to Spruce Waters Sort o. dandy
| chap, too: but they do say that he man
handled poor Sol in short meter. Has
fus' rate boss, an rides zef he'd been born
! ON the mountings Emmy wise, he went off
| this mornin'.n
Gone away! And she was never to see
! him more. Actas heart sunk within her
| Her Apollo, her unarmored knight, had gone
away and her eyes were to feed on him
| never more. But she did not forget him
His face would peer out from her Froissart,
his figure dance over it's pages; and day by
| day he would come between her and her
work and force her to stop and indulge in
day dreams. with a smile on her lips and
moisture in her eyes.
About four months afterward, on a cool
| day in autumn, the whole current of Acta's
life was diverted in an unexpected channel
a well-dressed stranger, rather advanced
| in years, white-haired, serene but trifie
| grim, came to the courthouse and inquired
about Stacy DingeSS. He learned that he
was dead and that his only surviving child,
a daughter, lived at the old place He
| mounted his horse without word, and,
without asking the way, rode directly to the
farm.
Acta was engaged in washing milk-pans
at the brook in front of the house when the
stranger rode up. He looked at her for
| moment and then spoke.
You are Dingess, girl; rather good
looking one, but Dingess for all that. |
should have recognized you anywhere"
81 allow I'm like the breed" said Acta,
laughing, as she rose up, cloth in hand
And who may you be, if Imay be 50 bold?"
Il am your fathers brother, Luke Din
CESS"
''Y gu do favor pap powerfully" she said,
after sharp scrutiny. Its long while
since you've been here, and our folks
thought you were dead"
Luke Dmgess dsmounted,
Il have been too busy in making money
to think of any one but myself Now that
shAil a. SiitdASoo NluOWCit growing OIU, L
yearn after my kin. l hoped you had a
brother whom might take with me, but
you'll do. Yes" he repeated, looking
closely at her. you'll do"
Il 'spose I'll do. have to. But dunno
exactly what you mean"
Then Luke told her that he wished to
adopt her as the heiress to his fortune, and
to take her away to the great city where he
lived.
The great city And may be he was
there. But she shook her head. "Uncle,"
she said II am not fit to live among these
high-learned people with their proud ways
l can read, and write, and cipher, and that's
all. | had better stay here where I've been
raised
'But propose to send you to school and
educate you so as to fit you for wealth. 1
am very rich, child, and all | have must go
to you. You should learn how to manage
it. Some day. too, Wen go to Europe-to
England, to France
Francel To see the knights and DANES
at Froissart, and him. perhaps. Her heart
bounded. And to be educated!
at is not the riches that tempt me-" said
Acta, after little pause, "but the school,
Could be made to speak like he does-like
~